We were early adopters of the now-famous Nugget play couch. Since then, the market has exploded with competitors. We’ve put together a full list of all the Nugget couch alternatives. We’ll also point out some of the major differences and stand-out features. Check out each of their respective websites to learn more about their sizing and other details.
Many people will refer to these alternative brands as Nugget knock-offs, but we don’t like this term. Though Nugget Comfort was the first to come out with the concept of the modern play couch, many of these brands have come out with their own spin (and in many cases, made improvements in our opinion).
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Here is the full list of play couches currently on the market (Click on the name to go to their website or scroll below to learn more about each one):
There are a couple brands you may be looking for that didn’t make our list:
We also didn’t include any climbing structures or foam climbing blocks. For the purposes of this comparison, we are only featuring play couches. If we missed a brand, please let us know and we will update our list!
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: Nugget is the OG of play couches; they were the first company to come out with a product like this. The Nugget comes with 4 pieces – a base, cushion and 2 triangle pillows. They also sell the covers separately so you can change out the look and color of the couch. The foam is made with CertiPURTM Certified Foam and the covers are made of machine washable microsuede. The Nugget is the most popular and well-known play couch. They have tons of happy customers and there are several Nugget-related Facebook groups. Nugget is known for their great customer service and social media presence. They have the largest variety of colors to choose from compared the other brands on this list.
Price: $229-269 (depending on color/fabric)
2. Brentwood Play Couch Sofa for Kids
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: Although the Brentwood Play Couch is newer, Brentwood has been in the business of making mattresses, pillows, bedding, and yoga cushions since 1987. Brentwood is known for using greener and sustainable materials. Brentwood is also Carbon Neutral Certified. The Brentwood play couch comes with 6 pieces – a base, cushion, 2 triangle pillows and 2 half-cylinder pillows. Brentwood also sells covers for their couches separately as well, allowing you to change out the colors. The foam is CertiPURTM Certified and made with their patented and proprietary “BioFoam”, which is a foam made in the United States from vegetable materials, such as corn, sunflower seeds, castor oil beans, and soybeans. The covers are machine washable and made of 63.5% polyester, 29% recycled plastic water bottles and 7.5% nylon. Covers meet Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certification. The Brentwood play couch claims to be the only play couch that holds the Greenguard Gold certificate and the Formaldehyde-Free certificate from UL Environment – however, we found that there are other play couches that hold the Greenguard Gold certificate (just not the Formaldehyde-Free certificate) – see #5 and 6 below.
Price: $349
3. Member’s Mark Kids’ Explorer Sofa
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: The Member’s Mark Kids’ Explorer sofa is sold exclusively at Sam’s Club. This means you need a Sam’s Club membership to buy one. The Sam’s Club play couch (aka the Explorer Sofa) is very similar to the Nugget and comes with 4 pieces – a base, cushion and 2 triangle pillows. The covers are removable and machine washable. One unique feature of the Sam’s Club play couch is the “convenient stash pocket for accessories”.
Price: $179.98
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: The Figgy is definitely one of the more innovative play couches we have seen. The Figgy comes with 6 pieces – 4 base cushions, 2 Rectangles, and an optional Wedge add-on. Unlike the majority of play couches, the two square pieces that make up the base pieces of the couch can be separated and re-attached with velcro. The base pieces of the Figgy are also all the same size. The foam is made with CertiPURTM Certified Foam and the covers are made of OekoTex certified fabric. The covers are machine washable and dryer-safe (this can’t be said for other play couches). They also sell covers separately so you can change out the color. The Figgy also comes with water-proof liners under the covers.
Price: Figgy Play Couch on Amazon
5. Foamnasium Blocksy Kids Couch
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: The Foamnasium Blocksy comes with 4 pieces – two folding bases and two wedge pieces. Covers are wipeable but not removable or machine washable. The Foamnasium Blocksy couch originally came with vinyl covers, but they have since introduced two additional cover options: 1) “enhanced” polyurethane covers that boast to be more cleanable, more durable and more comfortable, and 2) covers exclusive to the Pottery Barn Kid edition of the Foamnasium Blocksy made of polyester, called “Heathered Basketweave”. The foam of the Blocksy is CertiPURTM Certified. Foamnasium Blocksy is Greenguard Gold certified and made in America. They also just released the Foamnasium Blocksy + which comes only in the “enhanced” colors and includes the Blocksy + 2 additional pieces called mini Tumblers. Foamnasium also sells various other foam pieces separately that pair well with the Blocksy.
Price: Foamnasium Blocksy on Amazon
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: The Foamnasium Blocksy Mini has a smaller footprint and fewer pieces than the Blocksy. The Foamnasium Blocksy Mini comes with one folding base and two wedge cushions. Just like with the Blocksy, the Blocksy Mini covers are wipeable but not removable or machine washable. The Foamnasium Blocksy Mini comes in 3 different fabric options – vinyl covers, “enhanced” polyurethane covers or Pottery Barn Kid exclusive covers made of polyester, called “Heathered Basketweave”. Each fabric choice comes in multiple color options. The foam of the Blocksy Mini is CertiPURTM Certified. The Blocksy Mini is Greenguard Gold certified and made in America.
Price: Foamnasium Blocksy Mini prices vary depending on color from Amazon
7. Jaxx Zipline PlayScape Convertible Kids Couch
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: The Jaxx Zipline PlayScape Convertible Kids Couch comes with 4 pieces – a bottom cushion, a top cushion and 2 triangle pillows. The foam is made with CertiPURTM Certified Foam and the covers are made of machine washable microsuede. Jaxx also sells replacement covers separately so you can change the look of your couch. The Jaxx Zipline PlayScape Convertible Kids Couch is made in America (which is rare for play couches). Another thing that sets the Jaxx play couch apart from the others is its unique accessories – the Flip-Slide and the Castle Gate.
8. Jaxx Zipline Kid’s Convertible Sofa & Convertible Toddler Loveseat
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: Just like the Jaxx Zipline PlayScape Convertible Kids Couch, the Jaxx Zipline Convertible Sofa is made in America with CertiPURTM Certified Foam and machine washable microsuede covers. The Jaxx Zipline Convertible Sofa also comes with inner protective liners. This couch also pairs well with the Jaxx accessories – the Flip-Slide and the Castle Gate. This play couch definitely has a unique look and configuration compared to the other play couches. It looks more like a traditional couch but can also be manipulated for lounging and playing.
There is also a Convertible Toddler Loveseat which is slightly smaller in size.
Price: Jaxx Zipline Sofa Large on Amazon–Jaxx Zipline Kids Loveseat & Ottoman on Amazon
9. Whatsit by Children’s Factory
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: The Children’s Factory, the maker of the Whatsit, is a well-known company that’s been making products for classrooms for 40+ years. In addition to being sold via school supply stores, the Whatsit is available on Amazon and Wayfair. The Whatsit comes with 6 pieces – 2 bottom cushions, 2 top cushions and 2 backrests. Similar to The Figgy, base pieces can separate instead of fold. The covers are made of machine washable polyester. Another thing that sets the Whatsit apart is that you can buy “two-tone” couches.
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: Leo Mat is sold at Target. The Leo Mat comes with 4 pieces – 2 identical base cushions and 2 triangle cushions. What sets the Leo Mat apart is that the base cushions are the same size and they are tri-fold. The Leo Mat is the only play couch with a tri-fold cushion. Leo Mat is also known for their fun prints (but they also have solid colors). The covers are made of machine washable microsuede and the foam is CertiPURTM Certified. Leo Mat also sells covers separately so you can change the look of the couch.
Price: $399
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: You & Roo is a Canadian company but if you’re in the U.S. you can still get their play couch for a $12 shipping charge. You & Roo is currently only selling their play couches in “drops”, where they release a limited amount of stock at a certain time. The Joey play couch comes with 5 pieces: a thick base cushion, a thinner cushion, two triangle pillows and a half-moon arm rest. The covers are machine washable microsuede with a water-resistant polyurethane protective cover sewn in. The foam is CertiPURTM Certified. You & Roo also has a Joey2 (Classic) play couch without the armrest, but at a higher price (we’re not sure how the math works out with this one); as well as a Joey2 (Adventurer) made with vinyl covers and a Joey2 (Fort Edition) that features 2 identical thick base cushions instead of the thinner cushion. You & Roo also has various accessories for their play couch.
Price: $239 for The Joey, $303 for The Joey2 (Classic) and The Joey2 (Adventurer), $327 for The Joey2 (Fort Edition)
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: The Tarube play couch comes with 4 pieces – a thick base, a thin base piece, 2 rectangular pillows. The covers are made of machine washable microsuede with waterproof liners. One thing that sets the Tarube play couch apart is that the base pieces separate into square pieces via zippers. Tarube also sells various other foam accessories and they even have multi-color play couches.
Price: $339-369 (depending on color)
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: Stylized Nest is a Canadian company that makes all of their foam and covers in Canada. Their play couches consist of two rainbow bolsters, a topper and a base. The play couch covers are available in a large variety of colors and also in a variety of textures from Velvet and Vegan Cashmere to Bouclé. One unique thing about the Stylized Nest play couches is they offer outdoor covers. These covers are water and mold resistant and can handle up to 500 hours of UV protection.
Price: $646-nearly $800 for a full set depending on cover material.
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: Go Coconut is a Canadian company currently only selling their play couch, The Coconut, in Canada. The Coconut comes with 4 pieces – 2 flat base pieces and 2 trapezoid-like pillows. The foam is made with CertiPURTM Certified Foam and the covers are made of machine washable velveteen fabric. The Coconut is 100% made in North America (Canada, specifically). The Coconut comes in a huge variety of color options, similar to the Nugget. One thing that sets The Coconut apart is that the back rest pillows are the same width of the couch. The two base pieces are also identical. Go Coconut also sells waterproof liners and additional covers separately.
Price: $489
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: The Cushy Couch is another play couch made in North America (all materials and manufacturing). The Cushy Couch comes with 4 pieces – a base, cushion and 2 triangle pillows. The foam is made with CertiPURTM Certified Foam and the covers are made of machine washable microsuede. They also make a “Cushy Camper” made for outdoor use which is made of a water-resistant polyester. Cushy Couch also sells covers separately as well as expansion packs of foam pieces of various sizes and shapes.
Price: $319 for the Cushy Couch, $355 for the Cushy Camper
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: The Flip Kid’s Couch comes with 4 pieces – a thick base cushion, a thinner cushion and 2 trapezoidal pillows. The foam is made with CertiPURTM Certified Foam and the covers are machine washable. They also have an “Outdoor Flip” which is the same couch, but with a different cover that’s water resistant. Both versions of the couch also come with a waterproof liner that is hand washable. The Flip Kid’s Couch and Outdoor Flip are made in the USA – specifically Indiana. This includes all materials and manufacturing.
Price: $299 for the Flip Kid’s Couch, $349 for the Outdoor Flip
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: The Okoelli Comfort Couch comes with 4 pieces – a base, cushion and 2 triangle pillows. The covers are removable and machine washable. Okoelli also makes a foldable nap mat. This company donates a portion of the profits to charities that help children with disabilities.
Price: $250
18. Huddle Kids Foam Modular Play Couch
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: The Huddle Kids Foam Modular Couch can be bought from Walmart.com and QVC. The Huddle comes with 4 pieces – a base, cushion and 2 triangle pillows. The covers are removable and machine washable.
Price: Best Price: $195 + $16 shipping from QVC
19. Dundy
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: The Dundy is the exact same size as the Nugget, so covers are interchangeable (except the Dundy’s triangle pieces are more pointy). The Dundy (Classic) comes with 4 pieces – a base, cushion and 2 triangle pillows. The covers are removable and machine washable. For $60 more, you can get the Dundy S which comes with a firmer base and waterproof liners. They also offer a Dundy Classic Plus and Dundy S Plus which includes additional cushions – specifically 2 rectangular and 2 circular cushions. For an increase in price, they also offer the Dundy in a softer fabric option (called the Cloud). Dundy also recently came out with the Dundy Mag, which comes with 16 pieces, all containing magnets.
Price: $239 for the Dundy Classic (no waterproof liners), $299 for the Dundy Classic Plus, $325 for the Dundy S, $350 for the Dundy S Plus, $499 for Dundy Mag
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: The Kozy Couch is made with polyurethane foam cushions and unlike many other play couches, it does not use microsuede as the cover fabric. The covers are made instead from machine washable poly fabric. The Kozy Couch also comes standard with only two square cushions and a triangle cushion making the set a bit smaller than most. The base cushions stack to be taller than the standard play cushion thickness. The set currently comes in a total of 7 colors. The Kozy Couch website also has their own waterproof covers and an additional Pillow Pack containing an arch, door and two triangle pillows. The Pillow Pack is available in 5 colors.
Price: $129.99 on sale ($259.99 full price) for the standard Kozy Couch. $159.99 (original $319.98) for the Pillow Pack.
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: The Wild Kids Dream Couch is available in 15 colors and comes with the standard 4 piece set of cushions. The newest iteration of cushion covers comes with “zipper caves” that help conceal the zippers. A unique feature of the Wild Kids Dream Couch is the large 32 inch long triangles the set comes with.
Price: Dream Couch $229 when it’s available
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: The Foam Oh! Play Sofa comes in 6 available colors and the set comes with a total of 7 pieces. The sofa includes: A base, foldable cushion, two triangle back pillows, two rectangle arm rests, and a personalized pillow. Another stand out feature is this play couch is made in the USA. Milan, Tennessee.
Price: Foam Oh! Play Sofa set: Ranges from as low as $199 on sale depending on color to $369 full price.
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: Like the Nugget, the Kiddie Couch comes standard with a Base, Cushion and 2 Support Pillows. Unlike the Nugget, the Kiddie Couch has covers made from a water repellant durable microvelvet fabric. This fabric allows spills to roll off the surface without damaging the foam cushion. Kiddie Couch does sell separate waterproof liners for all of their foam products for additional peace of mind. The foam itself is made from CertiPURTM Certified Foam. The Kiddie Couch is available currently in 6 standard colors and 1 limited edition color (Orchid Purple). Kiddie Couch offers several additional foam pieces like Climbing Slides, Rockers, Armrests and Stepping Stones to add to the fun.
Price: The standard Kiddie Couch set costs $266 for all colors.
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: The MeMoreCool play couch comes in a large variety of colors and patterns. The total number of patterns and colors currently available is 15. Six of the patterns even have glow-in-the-dark elements for extra fun in the dark! Similar to the Nugget, the MeMoreCool couch comes with two triangle pieces, 2 folding cushions. Unlike the Nugget, the MeMoreCool play couch has two round cushions as well.
Brief Background & What Sets This Play Couch Apart: Barumba Play is a play couch company that is meant to be a one-and-done solution meaning you only need one play couch to create endless builds. They ship free to USA and Canada and are manufactured in Canada. It comes with 11 pieces in a variety of shapes and includes waterproof liners. The triangle backrest pieces are right-angles to sit flush with the wall. The pieces are designed for kids to do the building, yet the overall footprint is 66x33x33 which is standard play couch size. The foam is made with CertiPUR-US® Certified Foam and the covers are made of machine washable microsuede.
Price: $529 includes free shipping
That concludes our list of all the play couches on the market. Did we miss any? Let us know! There are constantly new competitors joining the market. We will continue to update this list.
Trying to decide which play couch is the best for your family? Here are answers to some frequently asked questions we get that may help you in your decision.
The following play couches are made from CertiPURTM Certified Foam:
2. Which play couches are GREENGOLD Certified?
Only the following 2 brands of play couches are Greengold Certified:
3. Which play couch is the cheapest?
The cheapest Nugget knock-off on our list is the Member’s Mark Kids’ Explorer Sofa from Sam’s Club.
Other cheap alternatives, though slightly smaller and different than the Nugget are the:
3. Which play couch is made in the United States (USA)?
Of all the play couches on our list, it appears that the following play couches are made in the USA. Note: We only included play couches where all aspects of the play couch are made in America (foam, fabric, assembly).
From the Foamnasium website: Each and every component that goes into our products is made in the U.S., and our products are manufactured at the Foamnasium headquarters and plant in Indianapolis, IN. We have a long history in American foam manufacturing, and are proudly continuing the craft.
2. Jaxx Zipline (Playscape Convertible Kids Couch, Kid’s Covertible Sofa & Toddler Loveseat)
From the Jaxx website: We have teamed up with several American-based suppliers to help keep our furniture as fantastic as possible, such as our New England- and California-based fabric mills and our Georgia-based foam supplier. […] Cut and sew manufacturing is hard to do in the United States, but we like a challenge. We work hard to make our products and practices extraordinary. From Jaxx family, we thank you for your support, and promise to continue our quest to make the best bean bags and furniture available, right here at home.
3. The Flip Kid’s Couch and Outdoor Flip
From the Flip Kid’s website: Are these made in the US? Absolutely, and proud of it. All of the materials and pieces are made and manufactured in Indiana.
4. Foam Oh! Play Sofa
From the Foam Oh! website: All our foam is manufactured in the USA and all our assembly is done in Milan, Tennessee. Some of our covers are manufactured outside the USA.
The following brands, though not made in the USA are made in America – specifically Canada:
